title: Misuse of prescription stimulants among college students: a review of the literature and implications for morphological and cognitive effects on brain functioning.
abstract: Prescription stimulant medication, the most frequently recommended treatment for college students with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), has become increasingly available on college campuses. Research investigating prescription stimulant misuse among college students indicates that significant numbers of students without ADHD are taking prescription stimulants to enhance their cognitive performance. This article systematically reviews studies concerning misuse of prescription stimulants among college students with and without ADHD as well as the cognitive and morphological brain changes associated with prescription stimulants in humans and other animals. Whether these morphological changes are accompanied by improved cognitive performance remains equivocal. Implications of this body of literature are discussed and suggestions for future research are advanced.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Rhode Island.
authors.forename: Lisa L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Weyandt
authors.forename: Marisa E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Marraccini
authors.forename: Bergljot Gyda
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Gudmundsdottir
authors.forename: Brynheld Martinez
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Zavras
authors.forename: Kyle D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Turcotte
authors.forename: Bailey A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Munro
authors.forename: Alex J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Amoroso
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D009656:North America / Q000453:epidemiology; D063487:Prescription Drug Misuse / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D014495:Universities
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants